Church opposition to Masonry rock solid: Vatican official

A high ranking Vatican official has restated Church teaching on Masonic
associations, saying that Catholics who enrol in such associations are
in a state of grave sin and may not receive communion.

Apostolic
Penitentiary regent, Bishop Gianfranco Girotti made the statement on
Thursday at a conference on the topic of Freemasonry held at the St
Bonaventure Pontifical Theological Faculty, Zenit reports.

The
bishop presided over the congress held in cooperation with the
Socio-Religious Research and Information Group of Italy. Officials of
Masonic associations and grand masters also took part in the meeting.

Bishop
Girotti reminded his listeners that the Church has always criticised
the concepts and philosophy of Freemasonry, considering them
incompatible with the Catholic faith.

He mentioned the last
official reference document, "Declaration on Masonic Associations,"
which was signed by the then prefect of the Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, on 26 November 1983.

The
text states that since the principles of Masonic associations "have
always been considered irreconcilable with the doctrine of the Church,"
membership in them, therefore, "remains forbidden."

"The
faithful who enrol in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin
and may not receive holy Communion," adds the declaration signed by
Cardinal Ratzinger, who is now Benedict XVI.

Fr Zbigniew
Suchecki, an expert in the subject, quoted number 1374 of the Code of
Canon Law, which reads: "Whoever is inscribed in an association that
plots against the Church must be punished with a just penalty; whoever
promotes or directs that association, must be banned."

"Masonry's
attempts to express divine truths are based on relativism and do not
agree with the principles of the Christian faith," Fr Suchecki said.

Bishop
Girotti made reference to the statements of some priests who have
declared publicly their membership in Masonry and called for the
intervention of "their direct superiors," not excluding the possibility
that "measures of a canonical character might come from the Holy See."